Heaven
by robotdragonx1
Summary: After the end of his life, the Britannian Emperor faces what he deserves. What that is, is something unbeknownst to him.


He emerged from his sheets in a deep sigh. Around him was the lavishly-decorated quarters that had belonged to his father, at a time that felt so much longer than it had been. Lace-trimmed bedsheets colored in maroon and gold hung around his body, while the marble floor shone like a mirror beneath the bed's feet.

The golden rays of the early morn had begun to flood the 99th emperor's chambers. A bright room that took every opportunity to lavish itself with gold. It was almost like awakening into a fairytale.

Almost.

Lelouch walked over to the mirror, taking a good look at his bedhead. Another half-hour and the parade would start. It was a wonder that his personal guard hadn't awoken him earlier. The last emperor might've issued a harsh punishment on them for their neglect, but not him. Of all the days for it to happen, today it would matter the least. Such an act would be pointless.

He dressed himself up, putting on one of his white and golden imperial uniforms that he always wore when walking amongst the common folk. He saw their hateful glares. Their scowling faces. He didn't really blame them.

The last time he'd ever seen Rivalz or Milly was at his meeting with The UFN and Kallen's Black Knights. Back at that place that had meant so much to him, to all of them. Ashford Academy. Rivalz had asked him why he didn't tell them who he was. By god, how he wished he could give him that answer. Milly was busy broadcasting the event, but he had little doubt that she'd been asking those questions in her mind too. He wished he'd had the time to tell them. It would've been nice to chat with them again.

Two years...Was it really only that long ago? When he'd gone out that one time to partake in his gambling and his life had changed forever?

He walked through the impossibly clean hallways, decorated with paintings that could've easily sold for two million each. To him, after having lived so long out of the lap of luxury, they felt like overly-priced ornaments of the past.

All of this, the throne, everything he had won would be once again lost this very day. But such a loss was trivial. There had been so much more lost in these last twenty-four months than riches.

Within the hour, he'd boarded his motorized throne, surrounded by a legion of soldiers and Knightmare pilots dedicated to his rule. Or at least, unwilling to object to it. The morning breeze tasted fresh upon his lips, and smelled sweeter than any other dawn's kiss. Today would be a fine day indeed.

To his right and left, he saw the people he'd fought alongside, whom he'd bled and sweated with, tied to black monoliths as they awaited their deaths. His orders. Many of them cursed him under their breaths, Kallen wasn't even looking at him. He sneered down to them as convincingly as possible.

But still, his heartfelt torn by their looks. They would never truly understand. This would all come to pass, and it wasn't like they could read his mind or anything. Their love, friendship, and loyalty was another thing lost to this fight. Ogi, Todo, Kallen, and even the fool hearty Tamaki.

And yet, of all the things he'd seen torn from him, there was one, precious person that he lamented with every breath. The only one he couldn't save.

Shirley Fenette.

Her very name made him shake a little. The crowd didn't seem to notice, as the convoy approached the inner city. Must've assumed he was shivering from the morning chill.

During those early days, before Geass and before C.C, he'd walk into class, a passing thought having snowballed into an internal lament for his mother. For the life he and Nunnally had lost.

And every single time, rain or shine, that smiling redhead was always there to brighten his day. Some people found her annoying, which was understandable. But Shirley was just the kind of girl that cared about people. She wanted to get to know them. It wasn't possible to be everyone's friend, but she would at least try.

Beneath his feet, Nunnally was tied down by chains. She didn't look up. Not even once. It was a terrible shame. All these years, she hadn't been able to see and now that she could, his little sister couldn't even bear to look at him.

He wondered what she would think of him now. How would those green eyes gaze at him if they were out there, amongst all those people?

They would probably scowl. Glaring at the monster he'd seemingly become. And perhaps he was. Diethardt had been loyal nearly the entire campaign, and only received a shot through his chest, from Schneizel. He'd personally executed Euphemia, Lied to the Black Knights, Suzaku, and everyone at Ashford in the name of justice. And those were just the tip of the iceberg.

He put on his overly-smug expression, waving at the watching crowds and seeing their discomfort. Any time now. At any moment, it was going to happen. He whispered a loving apology to Nunnally. For having lied to her as well. Yet another victim of his arrogance.

In his dreams, Lelouch still smelled the coppery-scent of her blood. The pulsing flow of it rushing out of her chest. Sometimes, she felt her lips touching his, like they had the night they were supposed to go on that date.

After she found out about her father.

And then she kissed him. Just like that. He kissed back to. His very first.

A rush of warmth and energy outbursted in the sea of cold, wet droplets. They didn't leave each other's lips until the rain had stopped, and it was just them standing in the empty sidewalk. His heart would still be racing for a couple of hours afterward. Funny...She was still really pretty...Even when she was sad.

And yet, even in her final moments, Shirley declared her love for him. That's right...And despite his sins, she'd still loved him.

"Love is power..." That's what she'd once told him. In a phone conversation not long after having rescued Tiang Xi from her own government.

"Power..." He whispered. In the end, that power hadn't been strong enough to save her.

It wasn't like he had noticed the way she looked at him. And at first, he just brushed it off. A person like her didn't deserve someone as deceitful as him. And still, she persisted. She'd help care for Nunnally, she'd kept his secret about Zero. She loved without condition.

He didn't deserve that kiss, nor to even talk to her even, nor did he earn her hat on Milly's Cupid's day.

And in a world with so much fear and hate, she'd been taken from him. A nine-millimeter, rounded cylinder-shaped piece of metal was all that was needed. Technology is a hell of a fucking thing, huh?

At the end of the road, the man in the mask stood, all of his bodyguards on their highest alert.

The time had come. He acted surprised, watching as Zero, his alter ego, dashed from side to side, dodging the shots from every barrel pointed at him.

Suzaku really had gotten better at combat, hadn't he?

He'd just been existing this past couple of months. After Damocles, his rule had been a series of arrangments and work. Living day in and day out without joy. Just an empty shell of who he'd been. If he could be assassinated, and Zero could be the one to do it, the world would find a better future. One that Euphemia and his sister had been trying to build for so long. In a few seconds, when Zero would leap in front of him, she would be in line to build a better world.

There was little doubt that Lelouch would end up wherever she was. He knew there was little chance of seeing her smiling face after the lights went out.

But if there was a chance...

Zero jumped up to face him. The monster that he'd created pointed the sword to his chest. Lelouch had followed the script, done his part. And he trusted that Suzaku would do his. He rose up and shouted in retaliation to this assault, to sprinkle on some authenticity.

The sword, adorned with royal jewels, and shining metal, dirtied itself with his blood. It was much more painful than he'd anticipated, feeling his lungs and chest being skewered by something that looked more like an art piece than anything else.

And with that, the end had come.

Zero had been a symbol for the people, and that symbol had once and for all given them freedom.

Lelouch fell, sliding down in a streak of red to the front platform where Nunnally was chained. Tears formed in her eyes. Those two, sapphire gems widened as he faded away. As he had hoped, he knew his little sister had realized his intentions. She began to tear up, grabbing him and crying his name. As the world all around him became a blur flooded by growing light, he ensured his last words to her were words of love. Whispers of comfort.

"Yes...I...destroy...the world...and create it...anew..."

At last, he'd done it. The world finally had a future. One without the unending conflict that had lead up until now.

In an instant, he found himself in a white plain. Wearing his emperor's clothes, clean and pure white as if nothing had happened. This was it, he'd guessed. An eternity of purgatory. Perhaps that would be his punishment, and that whatever being or entity that created this world had reserved the fires of hell for far harsher crimes. Maybe it figured he'd at least deserved this emptiness.

And so, with little else to do in this space, Lelouch walked.

Each step was funny, in their sense of time. One step would feel like a few seconds, another would feel normal, and the other would last a few years.

No matter the number of steps, in time, he caught a glimpse of a bright shape in the distance. At first, it seemed like some orange towel was hanging from an invisible hook floating in the air. With nothing else interesting in sight, he walked forward.

As he came closer, he soon noticed that it wasn't a blanket or a towel. Indeed, what he'd seen earlier was a head of bright, autumn-flared hair.

Shirley Fenette.

She turned around, dressed in a pure white gown like a princess or an angel from a painting. If he squinted, he thought he could see glowing wings rise from her back.

Lelouch couldn't believe it, but his feet seemed more convinced, inching him to the angel in front of him. Come to think of it, she'd always looked this pure. Even in life.

Her emerald eyes looked him over before she smiled. "Lulu...It's been a long time."

"...Shirley?" She nodded. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she embraced him.

"You really did it..." He realized that he hadn't been punished for his deeds. A place of pure emptiness might've been compensation for his crimes. But no, he'd been rewarded. For an eternity with her, was better than any heaven he could ask for.


End file.
